Google Settles Android Privacy Lawsuit
Google has agreed to a $135 million settlement in a California federal court over allegations of passive data transfers from Android devices without user consent. The lawsuit claimed the company engaged in covert data collection practices. US Android users involved in the case may receive payments as a result of the settlement.
- The lawsuit, *Taylor et al. v. Google LLC*, alleged that Android devices were transmitting cellular data to Google in the background, even when devices were idle, locked, or connected to Wi-Fi. - This settlement covers more than 100 million U.S. Android users who had a cellular data plan between November 12, 2017, and the final judgment date. - Payments will be automatically sent via electronic methods like PayPal or Venmo and are capped at $100 per person, though the final pro-rated amount may be less. - California-based Android users are excluded from this settlement as they are covered by a separate class-action lawsuit that resulted in a $314.6 million jury award in July 2025. - Plaintiffs Joseph Taylor, Mick Cleary, and Jennifer Nelson filed the motion for the settlement after more than five years of litigation. - As part of the agreement, Google must update its terms of service and device setup process to more clearly disclose background data transfers and obtain explicit user consent. - While agreeing to settle, Google denied any wrongdoing, with a spokesperson stating the case "mischaracterized standard industry practices that keep Android safe."
